


The Way Out Is Through

by Sparrow (hersilentlanguage)



Series: Love Surrounds You [1]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), The Isle of the Lost Series - Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Circus, Angst and Feels, Fluff and Humor, Jay Has Magic (Disney), Lucid Dreaming, M/M, Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Snake!Jay AU, Surreal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28828671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hersilentlanguage/pseuds/Sparrow
Summary: When Carlos awakes in a dream not his own, that's the only thing he knows at first. He's dreaming. (He has to be.) But whose dream is this and why's he apart of it? More importantly, who is... "Jayesh," and where the hell is everyone else?The tent flap rustled as a warm breeze whistled past, giving Carlos a glimpse of a lantern-lit interior and a hay-strewn floor. He took a tentative step, not sure if he should enter. Another glimpse at the flyer, though, and his mind—hisheart—was set on it. He had to see this… “snake man,” he decided.Maybe then the dream would end.
Relationships: Jay/Carlos de Vil
Series: Love Surrounds You [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1917415
Comments: 7
Kudos: 12





	The Way Out Is Through

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, hey! Welcome to the first instalment of the actual official Snake!Jay AU, which I've been talking about writing since April 2020. It's finally here and I'm so excited about it! Yes, I have basically established an AU inside of an AU, but shhhh... that's plot magic lol. If you like dreamy/surreal vibes, dark circus aesthetics, and the idea of Jay as a shirtless half-man, half-snake, this story is for you, fam.
> 
> To start us off, it's all about the Jaylos, but Mal and Evie will be coming in next chapter. I don't want to give away too much at this stage, but suffice to say that Malvie will be a major part of the plot and that this "circus arc" won't be ending any time soon. ;)
> 
> If you want to get a feel for what the Snake!Jay AU is all about before you get into this arc, you can check out my [ Snake!Jay headcanons on Tumblr](http://hersilentlanguage.tumblr.com/post/615711646914134016/p-hi-yes-i-just-wanna-say-i-love-your-blog-so). This fic can be understood without reading them first (or at all), though!
> 
>  **CW (general)** : Major heads up for surrealism/unreality (you should skip this fic altogether if that warning concerns you, as it's a fundamental aspect of the plot). Also, note that _future_ chapters will explore abusive dynamics with authority. Please check the end notes for a more detailed CW, as several minor warnings for this fic constitute spoilers.

Carlos had been falling for hours, or so it felt to him.

Not the feeling, but the _thought_ of it was what startled him.

He sat up suddenly from the cold ground, not sure when he’d hit it, how long he’d lain there—not sure of anything but the fact that this place—no, this _dream_ —wasn’t his. He was just… inside of it?

_Somehow._

He took a breath to fill his lungs, pushed down the panic, and began to look—to really look and _see_ through the haze of sleep and shadows—

It was night here, with the moon above him. There were trees which, at first, seemed black and white but, as he looked at them, began to take on colour—more than natural shades, more than ultraviolet.

He stared so long that it all seemed _true;_ more real to him, like—

 _Was it a dream at all?_ He pinched his skin, but nothing changed, so…

Standing up, he turned a circle ‘round, gaze fixing on a near-ish light.

He went toward it like a moth, with an ache in him—like something in him pulling—

A circus tent was pitched there, in the meadow on the woods’ fringe, only five feet from the treeline, with not a sound from in or outside—all was quiet but for Carlos, who’d just stepped onto a flyer—

One of many, all the same: _‘JAYESH, SNAKE MAN,’_ read the header; and beneath a striking portrait: _‘He’s half a charming PRINCE and half a SERPENT... but he’s fully ALIVE at the King of Beast’s Circus!’_

 _‘Jay… esh?’_ mused Carlos, frowning down at the flyer. That sounded familiar, like he should care who that was. He stooped to grab the paper and considered it intensely, thinking hard on the face. “Jay,” he murmured thoughtfully. (That sounded right to his ears, felt good on his tongue.) “Jay…”

The tent flap rustled as a warm breeze whistled past, giving Carlos a glimpse of a lantern-lit interior and a hay-strewn floor. He took a tentative step, not sure if he should enter. Another glimpse at the flyer, though, and his mind—his _heart_ —was set on it. He had to see this… “snake man,” he decided.

_Maybe then the dream would end._

Carlos stepped up to the tent flap and pushed the canvas gently aside. “Hello?” he asked quietly as he poked his head in. (No one answered and nothing stirred.) The room beyond, if you could call it that, seemed almost… abandoned? But it couldn’t be, of course. The lanterns told a different story.

Sighing, Carlos pushed his way inside and let the tent flap shut behind him. He shivered as he set his course, though the air was warm and stagnant. “Hello?” he called ahead of him. “Is anyone… here?”

Two rats squeaked in answer, rushing out from the shadows, three smaller mice behind them. They seemed frantic without reason, tails whipping behind them; they ran as though pursued, and yet—

“Kitty…?” Carlos whispered, clicking his tongue as he moved to the light’s edge, crumpling the flyer in a nervous fist. He hadn’t meant to do that, but there was something in the shadows, and—and—

_Maybe it wasn’t a cat. ~~Maybe not a dream, either.~~_

“Jayesh…?” he asked in a small voice, not sure that he wanted an answer. “Are you…”

There was a rustling sound, then a faint creak of wood and metal.

Silence followed, making Carlos pause.

He needed light—had to see ahead of him—

He glanced to his right and saw a lantern hanging, so went to grab it, but stopped a moment to stare at a stapled flyer: _‘COMING SOON,’_ it read. _‘BRAND NEW ACTS & NEW ATTRACTIONS! FREAKS YOU’VE NEVER SEEN—AND BEAUTIES, TOO! LIVE YOUR DREAM AT KING BEAST’S CIRCUS!’_

Shivering, Carlos snagged the lantern, unsettled by the flyer. He glanced down at the one of “Jayesh” still in hand and slowly let the wrinkled paper drop; then, thrusting the lantern ahead, he took a step and asked again, “Is anyone there?” (He held his breath to listen.) “M-my name is, um—I’m from…”

_Wait—did he know? Did he know his name?—where he was from, why he was here, or…_

_Why this “snake man” felt… important? Like he knew him. Had to find him. Had to…_

Carlos’ mind went blank at the sight of the cage: a big wheeled cart just ahead of him, partly veiled behind a curtain. There was a plaque at the bottom centre, nailed to the side—the name _‘JAYESH’_ burnt into the wood against a garish yellow background with red and orange floral accents.

“Jay?” asked Carlos, heart jumping in his chest as he set the lantern down, then moved in closer. He steeled himself about a foot from the cage before he finally reached to grasp the cold bars, peering in at unnatural darkness. Not a sign of life or movement within; merely scattered hay and bones and—

Gold eyes flashed at the back of the cage, like the creature had just awoken.

Carlos swallowed, rocking back on his heels as a young man’s face drew out from the darkness.

Jay was shirtless and, as the flyer had shown him, fully human up to his navel. He had thick scales the colour of olive leaves, with his belly a paler colour; large black splotches marked the length of his spine, which went on and on and on, it seemed—finally ending in a blunt tip.

_Oh Hades, he was gorgeous. ~~Dangerous, too, of course. Yes. That shouldn’t be forgotten.~~_

They stared at each other for the longest moment; but then—before Carlos could even process—two strong hands were on his shoulders, whirling him around. He was pulled back hard—legs twisting together, head bouncing off cold steel, mouth open in a gasp. He’d scarcely caught his breath before Jay’s tail shot out and curved to meet his lips, pushing in and between his teeth to fill his mouth with a taste like wax and something acrid, burning hot against his tongue—

“People _pay_ to stare,” Jay hissed, pressing close behind him. “You shouldn’t even be here…” He held tight to Carlos—one hand at his hip while the other grasped his right arm. “Give me one good re—” He faltered a moment, forked tongue swiping at Carlos’ neck. “—reason I… shouldn’t…” He tried to continue, but sounded oddly distracted. “Shouldn’t _eat you,”_ he snapped, following a lengthy pause.

Carlos answered with a small, muffled noise and a half-hearted wriggle.

“Who are you?” Jay pressed, ignoring Carlos’ efforts. “You smell weird, _”_ he added, more to himself.

Carlos shivered, feeling the prod of Jay’s tongue like a dart to his scalp; then, with some relief, he felt Jay’s tail shift, sliding out from his mouth, allowing him to breathe—until it curled around his throat.

 _“Answer,”_ Jay hissed, confused and impatient. “Who are you? Be honest! Why shouldn’t I kill you?”

“I—I don’t _know,”_ Carlos choked out, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I—I think—”

Jay gave his arm a squeeze, nails digging into wiry muscle. “Think _faster,_ or I might get bored…”

“I-I’m your—” Carlos hesitated. “I work here!” he decided, finding sudden inspiration. “I’m new.”

There was a beat of silence.

“New at what?” Jay challenged.

“Working here,” said Carlos, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “For the King.”

Jay snorted, uncurling his tail. He pushed the blunt tip into Carlos’ cheek, turning his head to where he could see Jay’s stare in his peripheral vision. “Liar, liar…” Jay sang, his voice like poisoned honey.

“It’s _true,”_ Carlos insisted, as if to will it into existence.

“What’s your _act_ , then?” Jay asked coolly, one hand sliding under Carlos’ shirt. “Do you have…” His fingers wriggled up, making Carlos flinch from the tickling sensation. “—any special talents, or…?”

“I clean,” said Carlos in a high and broken pitch, voice strained by awkward pleasure. “I just clean.”

Jay made a noise of disbelief. “No one _cleans_ here,” he said flatly, dragging his thumb over Carlos’ nipple. “You’re lying, and I should just eat you.” He smirked a little when Carlos’ breath hitched.

_This wasn’t how things were supposed to go._

(Carlos felt that suddenly, intensely.)

“I know you!” he choked out, right as Jay pinched his nipple, giving it a twist.

 _“Everyone_ knows me…” (Jay sounded bored, maybe vaguely despondent.)

“N-no, but I think I _really_ —” Carlos sucked in a breath. “I—I came to find you, Jay. I—”

“What did you call me?” Jay interrupted, letting his hand trail down and out from Carlos’ shirt.

Before Carlos could answer, Jay had spun him around—one hand at his collar, fisting the fabric. He brought their faces together, nose to nose, and glared at Carlos, who blinked at him owlishly. Jay’s tail was around him, encircling his waist. He could scarcely wriggle and didn’t bother to try—

“I said _what did you call me_ ,” Jay repeated with venom, his tail tip lashing.

“Jay?” said Carlos with a lilt of question.

Jay’s glare on him darkened, but then softened to a scowl. “That’s not my—no one calls me that,” he muttered, pulling back a bit to better study Carlos, head tilting to one side and then the other to look at angles blocked by the bars. “I’m Jayesh,” he added, though it sounded hesitant. “It’s on the sign.”

Carlos nodded slowly. “I saw,” was all he answered, never taking his eyes from Jay’s face; that was how he knew when Jay spoke again, catching the movement of lips when he less-than-whispered:

“Say it again.”

“What?”

“The _name,”_ Jay hissed, eyes narrowing on Carlos. “Say it again…”

“Oh, um—Jay?” said Carlos, a little awkwardly, though that didn’t seem to bother Jay; in fact, his fist began to loosen around Carlos’ shirt until he let go altogether, the air of him suddenly less guarded.

A beat of silence, and then—

“I still might eat you,” Jay confessed, flicking the tip of his tail up Carlos’ side, eliciting a soft squeak, _“but—”_ His lips quirked with a hint of amusement. “—for now, I guess, you can just… entertain me.”

Carlos huffed a breath, eyebrows scrunching up together. “Entertain you?” he asked, tone indignant.

“Mm,” Jay replied as he sunk down onto his belly, his gold eyes fixed on Carlos. “I’m bored…” He toyed with Carlos’ shirt hem, using his tail like a hook. He pulled it back when Carlos realized and took a swat like an irritable kitten, hands clapping over thin air (only for Jay to poke his other side).

“Are you done?” Carlos asked, exasperated, dodging a final sloppy flick of Jay’s tail.

“Still bored,” came the sigh of an answer, more petulant than serious.

“Wake up, then,” grumbled Carlos, not processing his own words; that is, until Jay chuckled—

“Do I look asleep to you?” he asked, eyebrows raising at Carlos, who seemed suddenly confused.

“N-no, I just…” Carlos shook his head, looking at Jay, then over his shoulder—to the heavy shadows beyond the lantern light. The only one that glowed now. “I thought…” he continued, but trailed off, eyes going unfocused. He startled when Jay’s tail tapped twice at his cheek, reclaiming his attention.

“Nothing’s out there,” Jay informed him, rolling onto his back and staring at Carlos upside-down.

Carlos frowned and shook his head again, running a hand through his curls. “I came from out there,” he said more to himself than to Jay, who snickered as he kept on rambling, “There were trees—and a moon, and—I think there’s _more_ , but…” He bit his lip. “I thought it’d make _sense_ when I found you.”

“Mm, makes sense to me.” Jay flicked his tongue out playfully. “You’re not here to clean. You _lied.”_

Carlos opened his mouth, then shut it quickly, frowning harder as he scuffed at the dirt.

(He was barefoot, he noticed— _but had he been before?_ He hadn’t noticed that either.)

“Relax…” Jay drawled, reaching out through the bars to tug Carlos closer. “It’s not showtime yet.”

That made Carlos shiver, not from Jay’s touch but the words—the way him saying it felt like—like it was something inevitable; like he should just accept it. _He couldn’t, though._ “I’m not part of the show.”

Hurt flashed on Jay’s face, quick as he was to twist around and show his back to Carlos, full of scars. He pulled his tail in and curled it tight around himself before he bothered responding: “Then _leave_.”

Carlos gripped the bars. “No,” he answered simply.

“No?” Jay asked, incredulous, glancing over his shoulder with fiery eyes. He scoffed when Carlos just stared at him, as stubborn as he’d ever been. “You’re _supposed_ to be smart,” Jay uttered darkly.

Carlos tilted his head. “How would you know?” he asked, genuinely curious.

Jay faltered in trying to answer that. “I _don’t,”_ he replied, after several moments. “But you’re _not.”_

Carlos rolled his eyes, grip loosening on the bars. “Yeah, well…” he started, mentally scrambling for a good retort, only to settle on the truth, instead: “I’m not _leaving_ without you. You’re the reason I—”

“I don’t need _saving,_ ” Jay hissed, whirling around at the same time he whipped his tail out, narrowly missing Carlos’ fingers. He surged forward until their noses were touching, his glare meeting Carlos’ stare, anxious but unwavering. “You might, though,” he warned, “if you don’t get out of here soon.”

“Why?” asked Carlos, studying Jay’s expression with a soft frown. “Still planning to kill me?”

Jay sneered at him, fangs flashing. “Just go already, Carlos.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments are deeply appreciated, if you have a moment. I'd love to hear your thoughts! And of course, feel free to ask me questions (either here or on Tumblr). I'm always happy to chat with readers, whether about story stuff or Descendants in general. <3
> 
> Find me on Tumblr for lots more Descendants content: [@hersilentlanguage](http://hersilentlanguage.tumblr.com)
> 
>  **CW (spoilers)** : In addition to the warnings noted in the general CW at the start of this fic, please be prepared to encounter non-con restraint (physically, by another person, as well as the use of a cage); dub-con touching and tickling (minor instance of M/M nipple play); memory loss resulting in aggressive behaviour; anxiety over self-identity and what's real; non-graphic threats of violence; non-graphic threats of semi-cannibalism... semi because Jay isn't fully human, but still worth mentioning here; and finally, be aware that human/humanoid enslavement is heavily implied. _Please check future chapter end notes for additional warnings as the story progresses. ___


End file.
